Act 21: The Journey
by The Admiral
Summary: Life on the march...
1. Default Chapter

For the last time (not really), I do not own Big O or any of its characters. I am making no $$$ off this whatsoever. It is futile to sue me. So there.  
  
  
  
Act 21: The Journey  
  
  
The landscape had changed the farther the two Megadeuces had gone from Paradigm. Wasteland soon gave way to fertile ground. Dead husks of trees became endless pine forests. Roger was amazed to see that the world was still so alive.  
  
He was also amazed that Dorothy still insisted on waking him with the piano.  
  
They had stopped for the night, so that both robots and pilots could rest. Come morning, Roger was awakened to a resounding march, echoing through Big O from the storage compartment. He had slept in the control chair itself, should there be a need for Big O to move during the night.  
  
When he finally got down to the source of the noise, an odd tableau greeted him. Norman had fixed a rudimentry breakfast, which he and Angel were eating. Dorothy and Instro sat at the piano, she playing while he studied the technique.  
  
"Ah, Master Roger! So good to see you up and about!" Norman placed a plate of food at the third chair of the small folding table and Roger drew up a chair.  
  
Dorothy finished her music, and the two androids came over to the table.  
  
"Aren't you going to eat, Dorothy?" Roger said after she had been standing there for a good minute.  
  
"With our food in such short supply, I decided it should be saved for those of us who actually need to eat. Neither I nor Instro fall under that category."  
  
"Well, you could at least pull up a chair and sit down."  
  
Dorothy did so. The metal folding chair bent and broke under her weight. She just gave the him a look from her new seat on the floor.  
  
Roger sighed as Angel started chuckling.  
  
It was going to be a long trip. 


	2. Part Two

For the last time (not really), I do not own Big O or any of its characters. I am making no $$$ off this whatsoever. It is futile to sue me. So there.  
  
  
  
"So what does this button do?"  
  
"Well, in Big O, it switches my stick button between pile-driver and grappler. Since this robot has neither of those weapons, I'm not sure what it would do."  
  
"Why don't we just push it and find out?" The two Megadeuces had been forced to stop for a short while, so certain critical components didn't overheat and burn out. Roger and Angel were examining the controls for Big Duo, trying to figure out what all of them did. Norman and Instro were back in Big O's carryspace, introduding Dorothy to the wide world of card games. With their perfect memories, Roger guessed the androids would bring Norman down quickly, but would stalemate against each other. Meanwhile, he had to make sure Angel didn't set off the self-destruct mechanism or something of equal consequences.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Angel. Let's just go over what we do know before we start experimenting."  
  
"You take all the fun out of life, Mr. Gentleman. What about these over here?"  
  
"Well, for me they open the idividual missile racks and fire them singly, and the big one fires them all. I know Big Duo has its own missiles, but I don't know quite how it will respond..."  
  
  
Dorothy eyed Norman and Instro over the top of her cards. She glanced down at her own, studied them for a moment, then looked up again. "Do you have any queens?"  
  
Norman peeked at his own cards. "Go Fish, Miss Dorothy."  
  
She pursed her lips and began removing cards from the deck.  
  
"I must admit, though, that you would have the perfect face for poker, If you wish to learn that game."  
  
Dorothy found the card she had been searching for, and placed her hand on the table upside-down. "I would prefer to master this one first, Norman, but thank you. Your turn."  
  
  
Later, the three humans enjoyed the finest meal Norman could prepare, while Dorothy and Instro attempted a duet on the piano.  
  
"So Angel, what can you tell us about our destination?" asked Roger for the fifth time.  
  
Angel downed another fork-full of pasta. "Well, unlike Paradigm, which used to be a bustling port city, my hometown was more culture-related. There was a great center of learning there, and the city itself had a rich history." Her expression turned sad. "Much of what we knew about the past vanished forty years ago, but my people retained much more than those in Paradigm."  
  
"Then why did they send you to Paradigm to look for memories, when it would have less than you did?"  
  
"Roger, you have to understand that our two cities are very different. Paradigm had a different past, so there would be things hidden there that weren't in our own. That, and we wanted to be sure Rosewater couldn't stumble across anything that might further his own purposes." Angel finished off the last of her food, and stood. "Now I think we should get moving again. We've wasted too much time already." 


	3. Part Three

For the last time (not really), I do not own Big O or any of its characters. I am making no $$$ off this whatsoever. It is futile to sue me. So there.  
  
  
  
Roger stood on Big O's open chest plates, the motion of the Megadeuce barely discernable. Aside from the thunderous footsteps of the two robots, it was a peacefull night. No clouds graced the sky, and this far from the lights of Paradigm City thousands of stars could be seen. The moon hung in the sky, a crescent no wider than a hair at present. He heard Dorothy come up through the hatch in the cockpit behind him.  
  
"Enjoying the view?" inquired the android as she came to sit beside him, legs dangling over the side.  
  
"Mmm. Dorothy, I've been thinking..."  
  
"What about?" The question was innocent enough, but Roger thought he heard a trace of amusement in her voice. He sat down as well.  
  
"Well, mainly, about what's been happening lately. That, and us."  
  
Dorothy remained silent, gazing out at the moonlit landscape.  
  
"We've been through a lot together, and we're going to be through a lot more before all is said and done. I just...well, that is..." Roger ran a hand through his hair, stumbling over his words. "Whatever happens, Dorothy...I..." He turned to her, and she to him. Their eyes met. "Whatever happens, wherever we go...I just want us to be together."  
  
The starlight reflected in Dorothy's eyes, giving them an almost human twinkle. She placed a hand on his. "As do I, Roger Smith. As do I." She leaned towards him, slowly. He reached behind her to draw her forward, and their lips met. He tasted deeply of her lips, a cold metallic taste, before they broke the kiss.  
  
Roger put his arm around her, and together they looked out over the night forest. Dorothy felt something growing, deep inside her, and knew that she wanted this moment to last forever.  
  
Norman silently went back down the hatch, closing it behind him, smiling.  
  
  
It was well past midnight. Angel was snoozing in Big Duo's control chair, the black megadeuce a shadow seen though the transparent metal viewport. Norman came quietly into the cockpit and nudged the sleeping woman.  
  
"Wha? Oh, Norman. What time is it??" She fumbled for her watch, which seemed to have mysteriously vanished.  
  
"Miss Angel, there is something I think we should discuss." His face was a mask of grave concern.  
  
"Uh-oh. What is it?" She sat up, drawing the blanket around her.  
  
"When Master Roger returned from his exodus in the catacombs, he had sustained some considerable injuries, mainly from being thrown around Big O's control room. I managed to patch up most of them, but..."  
  
"Norman..."  
  
The one-eyed man swallowed. "Miss Angel, before I came to Master Roger's service, I worked in a hospital, repairing equipment. I learned the signs of several ailments, which have been invaluable since." He sighed. "I believe Master Roger is bleeding internally. As far as I can tell, it is slow but steady. I cannot stop it without access to medical facilities, and even then I am not confident."  
  
"How long--"  
  
"If untreated, he has a matter of days left to live. A week at best."  
  
Angel swore. "I know my people have advanced medical facilities, but I don't know exactly what they can do." She looked him in his one remaining eye. "I do know that if anyone can save him, they can."  
  
"I would like it if you did not mention this to Miss Dorothy. She has been put through some severe stress recently, and I am not sure her systems will be able to take the strain. That, and I belive she and Master Roger have come to an agreement." Despite the fact that he only had one good eye, Norman winked at her.  
  
Angel looke puzzled for a moment, then understood and nodded. Norman retreated back down the hatch, and Angel snuggled down in the chair.  
  
"Let's hope he lasts long enough..." 


End file.
